Category Archives: Nursing Homes

The “post moratorium era” continues for the Nursing Home Certificate of Need (“CON”), with twenty-eight Letters of Intent filed in response to published Fixed Need Pools for an additional 493 nursing home beds statewide. Since the lifting of the moratorium on nursing home CON by the Legislature last year, the Agency for Health Care Administration (“AHCA “) has approved a total of 3,198 needed nursing home beds. Under the legislation, AHCA cannot approve any more CONs for nursing home beds equal to or greater than 3,750 (until June 30, 2017). Assuming AHCA awards all of the published need to these applicants, the total approvals by AHCA since the legislation was passed will be 3,691 beds. This would mean that there would only be 59 beds left before the 3,750 statutory cap is reached. Other deadlines are fast approaching, as well. Any provider that wishes to file a competing Grace Period Letter of Intent has until May 6, 2015 to file for a competing proposal.

The following tables show the Fixed Need Pool in each subdistrict where AHCA has received one or more letters of intent. The tables reflect the number of beds published in the Fixed Need Pool and a summary of the Letters of Intent received in each subdistrict to date. Additional notations are made as to any observations regarding the number of beds sought in relation to the fixed need pool.

Subdistrict 1-1
(Escambia and Santa Rosa)Need: 61

Escambia

FL HUD Pensacola/Specialty Health and Rehabilitation Center

Add 30 community nursing home beds

Escambia

NF Bay, LLC

Establish a new 90-bed community nursing home

Escambia

PruittHealth – Escambia County, LLC

Establish a new community nursing home of up to 120 beds

*Note: Two applicants have filed for a number greater than published need; and one less.

Any provider that has been contemplating an opportunity to seek a CON for a new facility or additional beds at an existing facility should review the currently filed Letters of Intent carefully, and decide if now is the time to seek approval for a competing project. Existing providers should also carefully consider their options, and decide whether to oppose a project that may have a negative impact on existing operations. Please feel free to call me for any additional information.

Geoffrey D. Smith is a shareholder in the law firm of Smith & Associates, and has practiced in the area of health care law and CON regulation for over 20 years.

The deadline is looming to challenge AHCA’s preliminary Decisions. March 16, 2015, is the final day for competing CON Applicants to file challenges to AHCA’s State Agency Action Reports (“SAAR”). Existing Providers wanting full party status to challenge preliminary decisions should also file challenges by March 16, 2015. AHCA’s preliminary decisions that are not challenged by March 16, 2015, will become final and the preliminary approved Applicants will be issued CONs.

If a challenge is filed by a substantially affected party demonstrating that there are material disputed issues of fact, the matter will be referred to the Division of Administrative Hearings (“DOAH”) and assigned to an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) for a quasi-judicial proceeding (“Final Hearing”). At the Final Hearing, AHCA’s preliminary decision is not entitled to any deference. The Applicants have the burden of proving the information contained in their CON Applications, and the Florida Evidence Code is applicable, with limited exceptions such as a more lenient rule on admissibility of hearsay evidence. For more information on the DOAH Final Hearing process, see our newsletter published February 11, 2015, posted at: http://smithlawtlh.com/update-on-return-of-nursing-home-con-in-florida/.

DISTRICTS RIPE FOR CHALLENGES

At this point, any area where there is a pending CON approval is an opportunity for a legal challenge. Basis for challenges are unlimited and can include any combination of factors, such as a better fit for the market, technical flaws in a CON Application, under or over filling the gap in need demonstrated by the fixed need publication, etc.

The chart below indicates sub-districts where AHCA’s preliminary approvals were less than the published fixed need determinations, which is one basis to argue a different provider or combination of providers might be a better fit.

Sub-district

Deficit/Surplus

1-1

40 Bed Surplus

3-2

60 Bed Surplus

4-4

47 Bed Surplus

5-2

56 Bed Surplus

7-4

78 Bed Surplus

8-5

40 Bed Surplus

WHO CAN CHALLENGE

Existing Providers in the same district or competing CON Applicants in the same sub-district can challenge the preliminary decisions. Once challenged, an approved CON Applicant should challenge the other CON Applicants in their sub-district within 10 days of the Notice of Litigation being filed in the Florida Administrative Register, or they could be left merely defending their approval without being able to raise flaws in competitors’ CON Applications.

UNCERTAIN APPLICANTS AND PROVIDERS SHOULD CHALLENGE

With March 16, 2015, rapidly approaching, many CON Applicants and Existing Providers may not have had the opportunity to fully comprehend the potential implications of AHCA’s preliminary decisions. If you are in this position, it is best to go ahead and file a challenge. A challenge can always be dismissed if you decide not to proceed, but if you miss the opportunity to challenge, you may have missed the only window of opportunity.

In some instances, denied CON Applicants have been able to reach settlements that resulted in their approval in addition to the approval of the preliminarily approved Applicant. In other instances, denied CON Applicants have been able to recoup some of their costs through settlements.

Existing Providers may have enhanced reasons to participate in challenges to avoid settlements that allow multiple approvals of preliminarily denied Applicants in addition to preliminarily approved Applicants. While this potential is always present in CON cases, it seems particularly likely in this batching cycle because there are so many potential sub-districts that may have litigation, several sub-districts have more fixed need for beds than have been preliminarily approved, and the Legislature has predetermined a limited window for the total number of beds that will be approved statewide before the moratorium is reactivated, and this number may be reached before need is triggered in the specific sub-district at issue in the future.

Further, a recent circuit court case provides additional reasons why Existing Providers should stay engaged in the process. In that case, a preliminarily denied CON Applicant challenged its denial. There was no competing CON Applicant. AHCA settled and approved the CON, including giving the CON Applicant several years beyond the time where the CON should have expired to begin construction. Several years later, when the project was about to commence construction, the Existing Provider tried to challenge the CON arguing it should have expired 18 months after it was issued, instead of several years after it was issued. The circuit court held the Existing Provider waived its rights to challenge by not filing a challenge within 21 days, even though the Existing Provider had no reason to assume AHCA would have extended the CON for several years beyond the statutory validity period. This case stands for the position that if an Existing Provider fails to challenge a CON, it could be strapped with far reaching consequences.

CONCLUSION

March 16, 2015, is an important deadline to file challenges to AHCA’s preliminary approvals. Failure to timely file a challenge could waive your rights to any future challenges, even if the litigation ultimately results in settlements that go beyond expectations.

Geoffrey D. Smith is a shareholder in the law firm of Smith & Associates, and has practiced in the area of health care law and CON regulation for over 20 years.

While most businesses are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Acts’ (“FLSA”) overtime and minimum wage requirements, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes (collectively “Nursing Care Facilities”) face unique challenges when attempting to comply with the FLSA’s requirements. In fact, a Department of Labor survey conducted in 2000 showed that 84% of nursing homes were in violation of the FLSA’s overtime provisions. See http://www.dol.gov/whd/healthcare/surveys/nursing2000.htm. Violations of the FLSA can be costly. If found to be in violation, an employer will be liable for all of the past overtime owed, liquidated damages (which effectively doubles the amount owed), and attorney fees. 29 U.S.C. § 216(b). If not handled quickly and effectively, oftentimes the attorney fees can far outweigh the actual damages. To avoid these costs, Nursing Care Facilities need to continually ensure that they are in compliance with the FLSA.

Live–In Care Staff

Recently, a Central Florida ALF, Alta HealthCare Group, Inc. (“Alta”), was sued by a live-in care provider for violations of the FLSA’s overtime provisions. “Florida regulations require ALFs to have at least one staff member certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (“CPR”) on-site at all times.” Maldonado v. Alta Healthcare Grp., Inc., No. 6:12-CV-1552-ORL-36, 2014 WL 1661265 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 26, 2014) citing Fla. Admin. Code Ann. r. 58A–5.0191(4). To comply with this requirement, Alta hired a staff member at each of its facilities to reside at the ALF. This staff member was expected to perform regular duties when scheduled during the day shift (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.), and, if an issue arose, provide services during the night shift (8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.). Alta considered any night issues to be minor and non-compensable because the staff “benefited from the ‘implicit value’ of not having to pay living expenses.” I d. Due to these working conditions, Norma Maldonado, a live-in care staff member, filed a lawsuit alleging FLSA overtime violations.

The Court stated that, due to the fact-specific nature of arrangements involving residing on the employer’s premises, employers and employees were free to construct reasonable agreements regarding compensation. Id. citing 29 C.F.R. § 785.23. However, the Court stated, “to be reasonable, employees must be compensated for any actual interruptions in sleep and, moreover, no more than eight hours of sleep time may be deducted for each 24-hour on-duty period.” Id. Emphasis added. The Court held that because Alta’s agreement did not compensate Maldonado for the interrupted sleep and because it attempted to deduct more than 8 hours of sleep time, it was unreasonable and unenforceable. Id.

With the agreement unenforceable, the Court then went on to determine if there were any overtime violations. The Court found that, because Maldonado put notes in each resident’s file every time she had an issue during the night shift, Alta had constructive knowledge of her work and was required to pay for that time. Id. Further, while Alta could claim the value of the residence as compensation, its mere assertion that the value was worth $1,085.00 was not sufficient and it would need to provide more evidence as to the reasonable value of the residence if it wished to apply that amount towards compensation. Id.

Shortly after the Court made this ruling, the parties settled. There are three key lessons to be taken from this case. First, employers should always ensure that working hours are recorded and properly compensated. If a Nursing Care Provider knows or should know that an employee is working, that person is entitled to compensation. Second, if a Nursing Care Provider has live-in staff, it needs to have an agreement with the employee that complies with all of the applicable regulations to be enforceable. If a Court determines that the agreement is not enforceable, the Nursing Care Provider will be liable for all uncompensated time. Third and finally, if a Nursing Care Provider plans on compensating an employee in ways other than monetarily, it needs to have an objectively reasonable and factually supported basis to determine the value of that compensation.

8 and 80 Rule

In general, an employer is required to pay its employees one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for every hour worked over 40 hours in a work week. 29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(2). However, due to the unique issues faced by health care providers when it comes to staffing, the FLSA includes a second option for calculating overtime – the 8 and 80 rule. The 8 and 80 rule allows Nursing Care Facilities, with the agreement of the employee, to calculate overtime on a 14-day basis as opposed to a 7-day basis. While there are exceptions, the agreement should be in writing, signed by the employee, and kept in their file. See 29 C.F.R. § 778.601(c). When overtime is calculated under the 8 and 80 rule, an employee is entitled to one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for any hours worked over 8 in one day and any hours worked over 80 in the fourteen day period. See 29 U.S.C. § 207(j). Further, premium pay for daily overtime under the 8 and 80 system may be credited towards the overtime compensation due for hours worked in excess of 80 for that period. 29 C.F.R. § 778.601(d).

For example, take this employee’s two week timesheet:

During this two week period, the employee worked a total of 80 hours, 56 hours on Week 1 and 24 hours on Week 2. Under the standard overtime rules, the employee would be entitled to 16 hours of overtime pay for Week 1. However, under the 8 and 80 rule, the employee would only be entitled to 8 hours of daily overtime for Monday of Week 2 and, since the total number of hours worked for the two week period did not exceed 80 hours, the employee would not be entitled to any additional overtime for the two week period. In this situation, the 8 and 80 Rule saved the employer 8 hours of overtime pay.

The 8 and 80 rule can provide much needed flexibility to Nursing Care Providers when it comes to staffing. However, this rule adds another layer of complexity to an already complex system of rules that employers must follow. Nursing Care Providers that wish to implement the 8 and 80 rule should consult with an experienced employment law attorney to ensure that they are in compliance with the FLSA.

Conclusion

Complying with the FLSA can prove a difficult challenge for any organization. The unique situations presented by Nursing Care Facilities only amplify those challenges. Further, the cost of non-compliance is incredibly high. Not only will the facility be liable for double damages, it will be liable for the employees’ attorney’s fees. And, with 80% of Nursing Care Facilities out of compliance, the potential for liability is huge.

Many Nursing Care Facilities don’t want to incur the fees of an experienced FLSA attorney to ensure that they are in compliance. However, failure to comply with the FLSA can result in the facility paying not just their attorney fees, but the attorney fees of their employees. If you are a Nursing Care Facility and you need help understanding or dealing with a FLSA issue, contact us a Smith & Associates for a free consultation.

Susan C. Smith is a shareholder in the law firm of Smith & Associates, and has practiced in the area of health care law for over 15 years.

AHCA announced the preliminary winners and losers in the first nursing home CON batching cycle since the Legislature lifted the moratorium in 2014. The State Agency Action Reports (“SAARs”) released on February 20 had a few surprises, but perhaps the biggest surprise is not contained within the decisions on the 102 completed CON Applications, but instead in the significant number of areas that are still left with unmet need.

While most of the talk surround nursing home CON Applications filed in this batching cycle has been about the large number of CON Applications filed, perhaps the more interesting story is that in 9 sub-districts, where there was a combined published fixed need of 365 beds, no one applied. In 13 other sub-districts, AHCA’s preliminary decisions awarded less beds than the fixed need determination calculated despite having CON Applications that would have met the need, for a combined deficit of 443 beds. For example, in Lee County, sub-district 8-5, there was fixed need for 40 beds, yet AHCA denied the only CON Application filed in that sub-district, leaving the 40 bed fixed need determination unmet.

This article focuses on the fixed need determinations by sub-district and the net surplus or deficit that would be created if AHCA’s preliminary determinations stand. Note, however, that AHCA’s preliminary determinations may be overturned by legal challenges filed before March 16, 2015, so these numbers are subject to and will almost definitely change significantly before all of the legal challenges are completed. For a more detailed discussion on the legal challenge process and timeline, see our newsletter dated February 11, 2015.

SUB-DISTRICTS WITH FIXED NEED WITHOUT A CON APPLICANT

No one applied for a nursing home CON in 9 sub-districts where there was published fixed need in the Second Batching Cycle for Other Beds and Programs 2014. The chart below shows the sub-district, counties, and fixed need that was not applied for by any nursing home provider.

Sub-district

Counties

Unmet Need

2-1

Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington

56

2-3

Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Liberty, and Wakulla

14

3-1

Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee

99

3-3

Putnam

43

5-1

Pasco

67

6-4

Highlands

25

9-1

Indian River

18

9-2

Martin

37

9-3

Okeechobee

6

While it is too late for anyone to apply for a CON in these sub-districts in this batching cycle, it is extremely likely that similar fixed need will be published for these sub-districts in the next batching cycle on April 3, 2015.

SUB-DISTRICTS WHERE NEED IS GREATER THAN AHCA AWARDS

In 13 sub-districts, AHCA preliminarily awarded CONs for less beds than the current projected need. The chart below provides the sub-district, counties, and deficit between the fixed need calculations and preliminary awards.

Sub-district

Counties

Unmet Need

1-1

Escambia and Santa Rosa

40

3-2

Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy and Union

60

3-5

Citrus

43

3-6

Hernando

16

3-7

Lake and Sumter

25

4-3

St. Johns and south-eastern Duval

47

5-2

Pinellas

56

7-2

Orange

18

7-3

Osceola

10

7-4

Seminole

78

8-1

Charlotte

3

8-2

Collier

7

8-5

Lee

40

Any Applicant that filed a CON in the current batching cycle has the right to challenge their denial or the approval of another CON in the same sub-district prior to March 16, 2015.

SUB-DISTRICTS WHERE AHCA AWARDS EXCEEDED FIXED NEED

There were 4 sub-districts where AHCA awarded more beds than the fixed need publications showed were needed. The chart below shows the sub-district, counties, and surplus of beds over the published fixed need.

Sub-district

Counties

Surplus Beds

2-2

Bay

14

3-4

Marion

12

4-2

Baker, Clay, and southwestern Duval

47

6-5

Polk

51

Any Applicant that filed a CON in the current batching cycle has the right to challenge their denial or the approval of another CON Application filed in the same sub-district prior to March 16, 2015.

RIGHTS OF EXISTING PROVIDERS

Existing providers in the same district that will be substantially affected by the approval of a competing proposed facility or program can initiate or intervene in a challenge pursuant to Fla. Stat. §408.039(5)(c) (2014). Thus, by way of example, an existing provider in sub-district 6-3 can challenge a preliminary approval of a proposed provider in sub-district 6-5 because they are both in district 6. This is different from competing Applicants that must be filing in the same sub-district to prove standing. Existing providers may also intervene in legal proceedings challenging preliminary approvals after March 16, 2015, however, they do so subject to the standing of the other parties to the proceeding, as discussed in our prior newsletter on February 11, 2015. Thus, existing providers that wait until after March 16, 2015, do so at the risk that no one else challenges the preliminary approval.

AREAS RIPE FOR CHALLENGES

At this point, any area where there is a pending CON approval is an opportunity for a legal challenge. Basis for challenges are unlimited and can include any combination of factors, such as a better fit for the market, technical flaws in an application, under or over filling the gap in need demonstrated by the fixed need publication, etc. There are literally countless basis for challenging a preliminary CON approval. Notably, final hearings are de novo proceedings, meaning AHCA’s preliminary decision is not given any weight or presumption of correctness.

Without a full detailed review of all of the competing Applications within a sub-district, it’s difficult to make any specific conclusions about where successful opportunities for challenges could be found. That said, there are some sub-districts that seem to stand out in a macro-analysis shown in the chart below.

Sub-district

Deficit/Surplus

Reason

1-1

40 Bed Surplus

Other Applicant met the published need

3-2

60 Bed Surplus

Other Applicants met the published need

4-4

47 Bed Surplus

Other Applicants met the published need

5-2

56 Bed Surplus

Denied 56 bed Applicant

7-4

78 Bed Surplus

Other Applicants met the published need

8-5

40 Bed Surplus

Denied 31 bed Applicant

If these preliminary approvals are not challenged, they become final approvals and CONs will be awarded in these sub-districts.

Thus, if you are uncertain about whether you want to challenge a denial or someone else’s approval, it’s best to go ahead and file a challenge. A challenge can always be dismissed if you decide not to proceed, but if you miss the opportunity to challenge, then you may have missed the window of opportunity. That said, we have conservatively used March 16, 2015, as the deadline to file challenges throughout this article. However, there are certain facts and subsequent notice that have occurred in this batching cycle that might extend the period of time to file such challenges. Thus, if you have not decided to file a challenge until after March 16, 2015, and are just now reading this article and thinking you are too late, please contact us to discuss whether there may be additional ways to challenge a preliminary denial or approval.

CONCLUSION

February 20, 2015, held a few surprises for the bountiful field of CON Applicants, particularly that there is still a significant amount of unmet need where either no one applied for a CON or where AHCA did not award the beds to the full amount projected by the need formula. It will be interesting to see on April 3, 2015, whether AHCA again publishes similar need for these unclaimed areas, and if so, whether any CON Applicants will jump into the arena to compete for these unclaimed areas. There are also many areas of the State that are potentially subject to legal challenges to AHCA’s preliminary approvals. It will be interesting to see how many of AHCA’s preliminary decisions ultimately remain after these legal challenges are completed.

Geoffrey D. Smith is a shareholder in the law firm of Smith & Associates, and has practiced in the area of health care law and CON regulation for over 20 years.

Currently, the CON rules, as they are applied to Nursing Homes, allow for one nursing home to obtain and hold a monopoly in a district. This leads to fewer options for nursing home patients. Smith & Associates is lobbying the Florida Legislature to change this law to protect nursing home patients.

AHCA will be releasing its State Agency Action Reports (“SAARs”) on February 20, 2015, announcing the preliminary decisions for approvals and denials of the 104 CON Applications filed in the first batching cycle since the Legislature lifted the moratorium on new nursing homes in Florida. But what happens next? What do you do if you don’t agree with AHCA’s preliminary decisions? Who has standing to challenge the decision if your CON has been preliminarily approved? This article will provide a basic overview of Fla. Stat. §120.569 and §120.57 (2014), including the timing of challenges, the basic laws regarding standing to bring a challenge, and an overview of the administrative process should you wish to file a challenge or find yourself defending against a challenge.

NOTIFICATION OF DECISIONS

AHCA notifies CON Applicants of its preliminary decisions by releasing SAARs for each subdistrict where there was one or more CON Applications filed. The SAARs contain an assessment of each Applicant’s proposal, and a determination ultimately of which applicant or applicants best meets the statutory and rule review criteria. There is no fixed weight applied to any criteria, and the analysis by AHCA involves a weighing and balancing of all the review criteria.

There are four ways to access SAARs. First, there is a link from AHCA’s home page where all of the SAARs will be posted on February 20, 2015: http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/MCHQ/CON_FA/Batching/applications.shtml. Sometimes, it can be later in the afternoon before the SAARs are actually posted. Second, any person or company can sign up to be added to AHCA’s email notification list for all CON batching cycle public notices, which includes the notification of the preliminary decisions on CON Applications. Third, AHCA directly contacts CON Applicants via the information provided in the initial CON Applications. Finally, within a few days of the decisions being announced, AHCA will publish formal Notices of Decisions in the Florida Administrative Register (“FAR”).

DECISIONS AFFECTING SUBSTANTIAL INTERESTS

Anytime AHCA makes a decision affecting substantial interests, AHCA must provide a “point of entry” for challenging the decision in an administrative trial. The “point of entry” explains when, where, and how the affected person or entity can challenge AHCA’s preliminary decision. Pursuant to Rule 59C-1.012 within 21 days after publication of the Notice of Intent in the FAR, a CON Applicant can request an administrative hearing to challenge the decision. The failure to timely file a proper request for administrative hearing challenging the denial of a CON Application shall result in the denial becoming final.

If a valid request for an administrative hearing is timely filed by a denied competing CON Applicant, a granted CON Applicant in the same sub-district shall have 10 days from the Notice of Litigation being published in the FAR to file a Petition challenging any or all other co-batched CON Applications.

Nursing home CON Applicants can only challenge other Applications that were comparatively reviewed for the same services in the same sub-district. Existing providers in the same district that will be substantially affected by the approval of a competing proposed facility or program can initiate or intervene in a challenge pursuant to Fla. Stat. §408.039(5)(c) (2014). Thus, existing providers are given a wider geographic area to be allowed to challenge a CON than competing CON Applicants.

An existing provider that intervenes within 21 days of the publication of the Notice of Decisions has full party status; however, an intervenor that does not intervene within 21 days is only granted status that is contingent upon the standing of the other parties to the litigation. This comes into play where there is a problem with the original parties’ standing, where the original parties decide to dismiss their challenge, or where the original parties resolved certain substantive issues in the case, through stipulations or otherwise, before the intervenor came into the case. It is often said that unless an existing provider files a Petition with 21 days of the FAR Notice of Decisions, the intervenor takes the case as they find it and is at the mercy of the original parties when it comes to maintaining standing.

FILING A PETITION

Petitions are filed at AHCA. Sometimes, inexperienced attorneys inadvertently file at the Division of Administrative Hearings (“DOAH”), which could raise jurisdictional issues if there is inadequate time to correct the error prior to the 21 day deadline.

Petitions must comply with the uniform rules of procedure under §120.54 (5)(b), including at least the following:

Identify the Petitioner;

State when and how the Petitioner learned of the decision;

Explain how the Petitioner’s substantial Interest are affected by the proposed action;

A statement of all material disputed facts;

A statement of the ultimate facts that warrant the reversal of the decision;

A statement of the rules or statutes that require a reversal or modification of the decision; and

A statement of the relief sought.

FORMAL ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

If timely Petitions are filed meeting all of the required substantive criteria, AHCA refers the cases to DOAH for assignment of an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) to review the decisions being challenged. This hearing is considered a “de novo” proceeding, which means that the ALJ should not be influenced by AHCA’s preliminary decision set forth in the SAAR—and the SAAR is “not clothed with a presumption of correctness.” That said, statistically, AHCA preliminary decisions are more frequently upheld than overturned by the ALJs. Perhaps that is because AHCA becomes a party in the proceeding and typically presents expert witnesses to support its rationale for why it’s preliminary determination was correct. That said, there are a significant number of cases where AHCA’s preliminary decision to approve or deny a CON has been decided differently by the ALJ and AHCA has issued a Final Order upholding the ALJ’s determination.

An administrative hearing is similar to a civil court trial, with slightly relaxed rules of evidence. Parties conduct written discovery, and pre-trial depositions of witnesses. The parties then present their case through expert testimony, lay witness testimony, and submission of documentary evidence. There is an opening statement, direct examination and cross-examination of witnesses by attorneys, and legal arguments over admissibility of evidence.

One of the most common arguments in CON cases concerns whether the evidence being presented amounts to an “impermissible amendment” of a CON Application. By Rule and established case law, a CON Applicant cannot amend its Application to include new concepts or theories for approval that were not set forth in the CON Application. However, an Applicant may introduce new evidence, new or updated data, and testimony that elaborates and explains concepts or theories that were included in the CON Application.

By statute, a party requesting a hearing has a right to demand that the hearing be commenced within 60 days of assignment to an ALJ. As a practical matter, most hearings are not done on this expedited schedule. It is not unusual for the hearing process to take 4-6 months or longer. Hearings typically last about 2-3 days for each party involved. In multi-party proceedings a final hearing may last 3-4 weeks. Virtually all CON final hearings are held in Tallahassee.

Upon conclusion of a formal hearing, the parties are required to submit a Proposed Recommended Order (“PRO”) for the ALJ’s review and consideration. This is typically filed 30 days or so after the final hearing. The PRO includes proposed Findings of Fact as well as proposed Conclusions of Law. By Rule a PRO is supposed to be no longer than 40 pages, but is not unusual for an ALJ to expand the number of pages to 60 or 80 pages depending on the number of parties involved. The ALJ reviews all PROs submitted by the parties and then issues a decision in a Recommended Order.

EXCEPTIONS AND THE FINAL ORDER

Once the ALJ issues a Recommended Order, the case is remanded back to AHCA for issuance of a Final Order. Parties may file exceptions to the Recommended Order to explain why the ALJ’s decision is in error. In issuing a Final Order, AHCA may not reject an ALJ’s findings of fact, unless the Agency reviews the entire record, and finds that there is no “competent, substantial evidence” to support a specific finding. It is not the role of AHCA to reweigh the evidence, or judge the credibility of witnesses, or to substitute its balancing of the evidence for that of the ALJ. As to Conclusions of Law, AHCA cannot disturb a conclusion unless it is on a legal matter that is within AHCA’s expertise and jurisdiction (e.g., its governing statute and rules) and AHCA must state with particularity its reasons for rejecting or modifying the conclusion of the ALJ, and must make a finding that its substituted or modified conclusion of law is as or more reasonable than the ALJ’s conclusion.

The issuance of a Final Order by AHCA is the end of the formal hearing process, and unless a judicial appeal is taken, the CONs will be issued or denied as set forth in the Final Order.

FURTHER APPEALS

A party may appeal the Final Order to a District Court of Appeal. This appeal is limited only to a review of the record by a three judge panel based upon legal arguments submitted by the parties’ attorneys in legal briefs.

CONCLUSION

February 20, 2015, will be a historic date for nursing homes in Florida. No doubt there will be numerous preliminary approvals and numerous disappointed CON Applicants. The CON process also includes protections for those with existing operations that could be adversely impacted by a CON being issued to another facility. Thus, whether you are seeking approval for new a nursing home or are simply seeking to protect your existing operation, it’s important to stay engaged in the process and know your rights.

The State Agency Action Reports (SAARs) for the latest CON batching cycle are scheduled to be released on 2/20/15. After that date, applicants that wish to challenge the Agency’s findings have only 21 days to file a Petition for Formal Administrative Hearing. These dates are very important and failure to meet the deadlines may forfeit your rights. To see a full explanation of the CON Batching Cycle, read “Nursing Home CON Batching Cycle Rapidly Approaching”. If you need help or have questions about the upcoming deadlines, please contact us here at Smith & Associates. Our attorneys are dedicated professionals with decades of experience in health care and CON law.

The waiting is over. The official AHCA Fixed Need Pool projections have been released. Positive bed need is shown in 31 nursing home subdistricts. This includes the following subdistricts with a projected Need in excess of 200 beds: Subdistrict 3-2 (Alachua, Bradford, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafeyette, Levy and Union counties); Subdistrict 3-7 (Lake and Sumter counties); Subdistrict 6-5 (Polk County); Subdistrict 7-2 (Orange County). There are an additional 10 subdistricts with projected Need in excess of 100 beds. Below is a complete listing of all subdistricts with the projected Need:

Community Nursing Home Bed Need

District 1

Subdistrict 1

160

Subdistrict 2

0

Subdistrict 3

0

District 2

Subdistrict 1

56

Subdistrict 2

63

Subdistrict 3

14

Subdistrict 4

86

Subdistrict 5

19

District 3

Subdistrict 1

99

Subdistrict 2

227

Subdistrict 3

43

Subdistrict 4

140

Subdistrict 5

65

Subdistrict 6

66

Subdistrict 7

205

District 4

Subdistrict 1

111

Subdistrict 2

170

Subdistrict 3

167

Subdistrict 4

0

District 5

Subdistrict 1

67

Subdistrict 2

89

District 6

Subdistrict 1

110

Subdistrict 2

0

Subdistrict 3

0

Subdistrict 4

25

Subdistrict 5

203

District 7

Subdistrict 1

131

Subdistrict 2

218

Subdistrict 3

130

Subdistrict 4

122

District 8

Subdistrict 1

23

Subdistrict 2

37

Subdistrict 3

0

Subdistrict 4

0

Subdistrict 5

40

Subdistrict 6

0

District 9

Subdistrict 1

18

Subdistrict 2

37

Subdistrict 3

6

Subdistrict 4

0

Subdistrict 5

0

District 11

Subdistrict 1

168

Subdistrict 2

0

Geoffrey D. Smith is a shareholder in the law firm of Smith & Associates, and has practiced in the area of health care law and CON regulation for over 20 years.

Now that the moratorium on Certificates of Need for Nursing Homes has been lifted, nursing homes seeking to add beds must participate in AHCA’s CON batching cycles. The first of these batching cycles since the lifting of the moratorium is rapidly approaching. On October 3, 2014, less than a month from now, AHCA will publish its Summary Need Projections in the F.A.W. Once this is published, nursing homes seeking to add beds to their facilities need to comply with a series of rules and deadlines in order to compete for the fixed number of beds available in their district. To learn more about the rules and deadlines read our article here.

It’s now old news that the Florida Legislature has lifted the 13-year moratorium on the Certificate of Need program for new nursing homes in Florida. In addition to allowing new skilled nursing facility development projects to be authorized by CON, the legislation includes a variety of provisions that create new CON exemptions and expedited reviews for certain bed additions and facility replacement projects, as well as relaxing some of the standards for assessing need for new skilled nursing facilities and beds. For a full review of the specific provisions adopted in the CON law, see my newsletter article posted on-line at www.smithlawtlh.com. Below I address what skilled nursing facility owners and operators, and potential applicants, should be doing to prepare for the return of nursing home CON proceedings in Florida.

The Batching Cycle Deadlines

Under existing Rules, AHCA has a schedule that governs the procedures and a detailed time-line for applying for a Certificate of Need. Applications for new skilled nursing facilities and bed additions may be submitted two times per year in the “batching cycle” for “other beds and programs.” A “batching cycle” review is required for any party that wishes to obtain a CON for a new facility or bed addition that is not authorized under an exemption or expedited review. The key dates for the next available batching cycle are as follows:

Event

Deadline

Fixed Need Pool Projections

10/03/14

10 days to File Notice of Errors in a Fixed Need Pool

10/13/14

21 Days to File Formal Challenge to Fixed Need Pool

10/24/14

Letter of Intent Filing Deadline

10/20/14

16-day Grace Period Letter of Intent Filing Deadline

11/05/14

CON Initial Application Filing Deadline

11/19/14

Request Public Hearing

14 Days After Publication Of Application Filing in Florida Administrative Register

CON Application Omissions Response Deadline

12/24/14

State Agency Action Reports (SAARs) Issued

2/20/15

Deadline to File Petition for Formal Administrative Hearing to Challenge a SAAR

21 Days After Publication of the SAAR Results in the Florida Administrative Register

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Based on the schedule for the next batching cycle, any party wishing to submit a CON Application should immediately begin the process of putting together a “CON Application Team” consisting of at least the following members:

Key management for owner/operators;

Experienced CON counsel;

Experienced health planner;

Experienced financial planner; and

A health care architect.

FIXED NEED POOL PUBLICATION AND CHALLENGES

The process for CON Applications will commence with the publication of fixed need pools on October 3, 2014. The fixed need pool is a projection of the number of new skilled nursing facility beds that will be needed in each nursing home sub-district for a planning horizon that is three years in the future. The Need formula included in AHCA’s existing Rule (which should be adjusted by the changes required in the recent legislation lifting the moratorium) takes into account a variety of factors including: a) current and future population in two age groups (65-74 and 75 and older); b) the most recent bed rates for skilled nursing facilities in the District; c) occupancy rates in the district; d) a target occupancy rate; and e) allocation of beds among sub-districts. The “Net Need” number will be published in the Florida Administrative Register providing any interested parties with notice of AHCA’s projections of the number of needed beds that will be applied to review of any CON Applications submitted in the batching cycle. Unless a party successfully challenges a Fixed Need Pool publication, then the Need is “fixed” and will be applied to all applications in the batch.

The CON statute and applicable rules allow for a party to file a challenge to the publication of a Fixed Need Pool to correct any errors identified in the calculation. A party wishing to challenge a Fixed Need Pool must notify AHCA in writing within 10 days of publication of the Fixed Need Pool detailing any errors in the calculation. If AHCA agrees that an error was made, then it will file and publish a Notice of Corrected Fixed Need Pool. If AHCA disagrees that any error was made, a party may file a Petition for Formal Administrative Hearing within 21 days of the original Fixed Need Pool publication, and the matter will be referred to an Administrative Law Judge at the Division of Administrative Hearings for a formal hearing on the evidence.

LETTERS OF INTENT AND GRACE PERIOD LETTERS OF INTENT

In the upcoming batching cycle, any party interested in filing a Certificate of Need application for skilled nursing facilities or bed additions (non-exempt) must file a Letter of Intent by the deadline of October 20, 2014. If any party files a Letter of Intent in a sub-district, a “grace period” is triggered which allows any other party to submit competing a Letter of Intent to file a competing CON Application in the same sub-district where an applicant has already filed a Letter of Intent. The grace period deadline is November 5, 2014.

THE INITIAL CON APPLICATION

The initial CON Application deadline in the upcoming batching cycle is November 19, 2014. It is not uncommon for parties and their CON team to meet with representatives of AHCA prior to filing the initial CON Application to discuss any potential concerns or issues, and simply to obtain some insight to any issues that AHCA staff may feel are particularly important to address in the CON Application.

Typically a party will file only what is called a “shell application” by the initial application deadline—that is simply signing a blank application form and noting that the remainder of any information will be submitted with the Omissions Response.

Upon receipt of the Initial CON Applications, AHCA notifies each party of any Omissions in the initial Application. These Omissions letters have become boilerplate over the years, and AHCA typically sends a form letter indicating that all responses to all sections of the Application form are required to be submitted by the Omissions deadline.

PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WRITTEN OPPOSITION STATEMENTS

A Public Hearing may be requested after initial CON Applications are filed. A public hearing is an opportunity for interested members of the public, or any party, to provide AHCA with comments in support of or in opposition to any Application. The date and time of the Public Hearing will be published by AHCA. The hearings are typically held in the local Health Council offices in the area where the proposed project will be located shortly after the Omissions deadline. A party may use the Public Records Law to obtain a copy of the CON Application prior to the public hearing.

In lieu of a Public Hearing, parties may submit written statements to AHCA. It is not unusual for AHCA to receive detailed opposition statements from existing providers in the same District in response to a CON Application. Opposition statements must be submitted prior to the Omissions deadline, unless a Public Hearing is requested and held in which case written opposition materials can also be submitted at a public hearing.

OMISSIONS RESPONSES AND REVIEW CRITERIA

The deadline in the next batching cycle to file the Omissions Response to a CON Application is December 24, 2014. The Omissions Response is typically the real meat of the Application, and will usually be a document of 150 pages or more of narrative responses addressing the various CON review criteria, along with required financial schedules, audited financial statements, a financial feasibility analysis, and architectural schematic drawings of the proposed facility or bed addition.

CON Review Criteria set forth in Section 408.035(1), Florida Statutes, include the following:

(a) The need for the health care facilities and health services being proposed.

(b) The availability, quality of care, accessibility, and extent of utilization of existing health care facilities and health services in the service district of the applicant.

(c) The ability of the applicant to provide quality of care and the applicant’s record of providing quality of care.

(d) The availability of resources, including health personnel, management personnel, and funds for capital and operating expenditures, for project accomplishment and operation.

(e) The extent to which the proposed services will enhance access to health care for residents of the service district.

(f) The immediate and long-term financial feasibility of the proposal.

(g) The extent to which the proposal will foster competition that promotes quality and cost-effectiveness.

(h) The costs and methods of the proposed construction, including the costs and methods of energy provision and the availability of alternative, less costly, or more effective methods of construction.

(i) The applicant’s past and proposed provision of health care services to Medicaid patients and the medically indigent.

(j) The applicant’s designation as a Gold Seal Program nursing facility pursuant to s. 400.235, when the applicant is requesting additional nursing home beds at that facility.

Additionally, the CON Application includes a required Form setting forth Conditions Predicated on Award of CON. This form allows an Applicant to accept specific Conditions on the CON which may include “enticements” or “sweeteners” offered by an Applicant to make its CON Application more appealing than other applicants. Common conditions include a specific site location; implementation of a specific program or service that may be lacking in the community; enhanced staff or staff qualifications; and a specific minimum percentage of charity, indigent or unfunded patients to be served. Virtually anything may be offered as a Condition, and in some instances CON Conditions may make the difference between approval and denial of an application.

The Nursing Facility CON Rule (59C-1.036(3), Florida Administrative Code) also includes the following Review Criteria pertaining to an Applicant’s Quality of Care:

(e) Quality of Care. In assessing the applicant’s ability to provide quality of care pursuant to Section 408.035(1)(c), F.S., the agency shall evaluate the following facts and circumstances:

1. Whether the applicant has had a Chapter 400, F.S., nursing facility license denied, revoked, or suspended within the 36 months prior to the application.

2. Whether the applicant has had a nursing facility placed into receivership at any time during the period of ownership, management, or leasing of a nursing facility in the 36 months prior to the current application.

3. The extent to which the conditions identified within subparagraphs 1. and 2. threatened or resulted in direct, significant harm to the health, safety or welfare of the nursing facility residents.

4. The extent to which the conditions identified within subparagraph 3. were corrected within the time frames allowed by the appropriate state agency in each respective state and in a manner satisfactory to the agency.

(f) Harmful Conditions. The agency shall question the ability of the applicant to provide quality of care within any nursing facility when the conditions identified in subparagraphs (e)1. and (e)2. resulted in direct, significant harm to the health, safety or welfare of a nursing facility resident, and were not corrected within the time frames allowed by the appropriate state agency in each respective state and in a manner satisfactory to the agency.

There are also additional Review Criteria set forth in Rule 59C-1.030, Florida Administrative Code, which address specific needs of various underserved population groups, and how the applicant proposes to enhance access to services for such groups.

Finally, Applicants typically will include an “adverse impact” analysis to demonstrate that approval of the CON Application will not imperil or jeopardize the continued operation of other existing skilled nursing facilities.

COMPARATIVE REVIEW AND THE STATE AGENCY ACTION REPORT

Once all CON Omissions Responses are filed, AHCA then conducts a comparative review of CON Applications that are submitted for beds or facilities located in the same sub-district. The review includes an assessment of each Applicant’s proposal, and a determination ultimately of which applicant or applicants best meet the statutory and rule review criteria. There is no fixed weight applied to any criteria, and the analysis by AHCA involves a weighing and balancing of all the review criteria.

AHCA’s initial decision for all CON Applications submitted in each sub-district is announced in a State Agency Action Report (SAAR). The SAAR sets forth the comparative review of the CON Applications, and the key points that resulted in AHCA’s recommendation to approve or deny an Application. Because so many applications are similar, it is often difficult for AHCA to articulate the precise reasons why one applicant may have been selected for approval over other applicants.

In a bygone era of CON review, decisions to outright deny or disqualify a CON Applicant from consideration were often made based upon perceived technical defects in an Application. Today, such disqualification of a defective CON Application is less common. Decisions typically address AHCA’s perception of the relative merits of each applicant’s proposal; although technical defects can still hurt the overall review of the merits of an application.

FORMAL ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

After issuance of a SAAR, any co-batched applicant, as well as any existing provider of skilled nursing facility services in the same health planning District, may file a Petition for Formal Administrative Hearing to challenge AHCA’s initial decision. Thus, a co-batched applicant can request a formal hearing to demonstrate through evidence that its application is superior to other applicants that were approved, or conversely that other applicants had defects or problems with the application that should have resulted in denial. Similarly, an existing provider in the same District may challenge the approval of an applicant for a new facility based upon a demonstration that its existing facility will suffer an adverse impact, and that a preliminarily approved application does not on balance meet the CON review criteria set forth in statute and rule.

If Petitions are filed, the cases are referred to the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) for assignment of an Administrative Law Judge to review the decisions being challenged. This hearing is considered a “de novo” proceeding, which means that the ALJ should not be influenced by AHCA’s preliminary decision set forth in the SAAR—and the SAAR is “not clothed with a presumption of correctness.”

An administrative hearing is similar to a civil court trial, with slightly relaxed rules of evidence. Parties conduct written discovery, and conduct pre-trial depositions of witnesses. The parties then present their case through expert testimony, lay witness testimony, and submission of documentary evidence. There is an opening statement, direct examination and cross examination of witnesses by attorneys, and legal arguments over admissibility of evidence. One of the most common arguments in CON cases concerns whether the evidence being presented amounts to an “impermissible amendment” of a CON Application. By Rule and established case law, a CON Applicant cannot amend its application to include new concepts or theories for approval that were not set forth in the CON Application. However, an Applicant may introduce new evidence, new or updated data, and testimony that elaborates and explains concepts or theories that were included in the CON Application. These issues are often hotly debated during the course of a CON hearing.

By statute, a party requesting a hearing has a right to demand that the hearing be commenced within 60 days of assignment of an ALJ at DOAH. Most hearings are not done on this expedited schedule, however, and it is not unusual for the hearing process to take 4-6 months or longer. Hearings typically last about 2-3 days for each party involved. In multi-party proceedings involving several applicants, existing providers, and AHCA, a final hearing may last 3-4 weeks. All final hearings are held at DOAH headquarters in Tallahassee.

Upon conclusion of a formal hearing, the parties are required to submit a Proposed Recommended Order (PRO) for the ALJ’s review and consideration. This is typically filed 30 days or so after the final hearing. The PRO includes proposed Findings of Fact as well as proposed Conclusions of Law. By Rule a PRO is supposed to be no longer than 40 pages; but is not unusual for an ALJ to expand the number of pages to 60 or 80 pages depending on the number of parties involved. The ALJ reviews all PROs submitted by the parties and then issues a decision in a Recommended Order.

EXCEPTIONS AND THE FINAL ORDER

Once the ALJ issues a Recommended Order, the case is remanded back to AHCA for issuance of a Final Order. Parties may file “Exceptions” to the Recommended Order to explain why the ALJ’s decision is in error. In issuing a Final Order, AHCA may not reject an ALJ’s findings of fact, unless the Agency reviews the entire record, and finds that there is no “competent, substantial evidence” to support a specific finding. It is not the role of AHCA to reweigh the evidence, or judge the credibility of witnesses, or to substitute its balancing of the evidence for that of the ALJ. As to Conclusions of Law, AHCA cannot disturb a conclusion unless it is on a legal matter that is within AHCA’s expertise and jurisdiction (e.g., its governing statute and rules) and AHCA must state with particularity its reasons for rejecting or modifying the conclusion of the ALJ, and must make a finding that its substituted or modified conclusion of law is as or more reasonable than the ALJ’s conclusion.

The issuance of a Final Order by AHCA is the end of the formal hearing process, and unless a judicial appeal is taken, the CONs will be issued or denied as set forth in the Final Order.

FURTHER APPEALS

A party may appeal the Final Order to a District Court of Appeal. This appeal is limited only to a review of the record by a three judge panel based upon legal arguments submitted by the parties’ attorneys in legal briefs.

CONCLUSION

Anyone who operates or wishes to operate a Skilled Nursing Facility in Florida should pay careful attention to the CON process that will begin in October of this year. There will be ample opportunities for parties that are seeking to expand skilled nursing operations in Florida. The CON process also includes protections for those with existing operations that could be adversely impacted by a CON being issued to another facility. Thus, whether you are seeking approval for new nursing home development or are simply seeking to protect your existing operation, the return of nursing home CON in Florida is likely to be of interest.

Geoffrey D. Smith is a shareholder in the law firm of Smith & Associates, and has practiced in the area of health care law and CON regulation for over 20 years.